1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hollow structural glass blocks of the type commonly used in buildings for exterior windows and interior partitions and windows. The invention includes a simple method of adding a decorative panel insert into the interior of a previously manufactured and sealed glass block.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Structural glass blocks have been used in the past for building windows and partitions, and are installed with mortar in a well known manner similar to that used for bricks. Structural glass blocks are available in both translucent or almost clear glass, and are normally about four inches thick, by eight inches wide and eight inches high in size. Due to the relatively small size of structural glass blocks, normally a number of the blocks are utilized to form a single window or partition.
Commonly, each block is formed in two separate halves and then permanently attached together using heat fusion to form a completed hollow yet sealed block at the manufacturing plant. The vast majority of these blocks are formed with exterior front and back surfaces having an uneven or textured surface to provide a transparent but distorted, hence translucent, view through the block. This allows light to pass through the glass block, yet distorts shapes sufficiently to provide privacy.